Skip The Sunscreen While Diving

[Zach]

Skip The Sunscreen While Diving: It can damage and even kill coral reefs, says a study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Italian marine biologists have linked four UV-blocking chemicals in sunscreens to coral bleaching because they cause viral infections in the symbiotic algae that live inside reef-building coral. The viruses replicate until their algae hosts explode, infecting neighboring coral. The researchers estimate that 5,000 tons of sunscreen wash off people in oceans annually, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

A friend sent this to me with a link to the website below but I couldn't find the article on their site to reference. None the less I thought it was worth posting. Scuba Diving Magazine for Serious Divers, Undercurrent Reviews Dive Resorts and Scuba Diving Equipment

[Jreck_p]

Thanks for your new discussion on the disadvantages of SunScreen lotion that damage the ecological balance in coral reefs and other sea creatures. At least we (most of the people) in India never use Sunscreen Lotion although there are vast coast lines.

[ATWUSSD]

wow, I had no idea that sunscreen has such a negative effect on coral reefs! I will definitely make sure to lay off the sunscreen if I do go out into the ocean. Thanks for the info! I'll spread the word